What was this?

Ok, I found an empty draft of a post (dated 21-Sept-2009), and I thought I would put something in it. I have no idea what I was thinking of at that point (the draft was empty). So let’s talk about the word draft or draught.

Draft in this case means a rough draught or is that ruff draft or maybe rough draft. Usually a paper or other writing before it has been checked or proof read.

Of course you can feed your draft horses in the drafty barn, drinking draft beer while waiting to be drafted.. Huh? Or maybe you could be a draftsman drawing up plans to determine how close you need to be to get the full effects of drafting while racing for NASCAR. Me, well I could check the draft on the fireplace this winter while setting up a game of draughts to play with my youngest when she comes home. But I really wish someone would make a draft on their bank and send it my way?

More on fun English words at a later date….




Time to close this blog?

Seeing that today is the one month anniversary of my last blog post about my life, that is a valid question.  The filler is interesting, but what about my two jobs, one of which was once the emphasis of this blog?  This week was actually a milestone for my new job.  For the first time my commission exceeds the $50/day they have been paying me since the start of training last June.  It’s still not much, but the job promises to pay more eventually.  And what about the camera training the owners have asked me to take charge of?  One of them has plugged me as the national camera trainer to one of the clients after they noticed my pictures are pretty good.  Great- a standard to live up to! 😛 .I still wonder how much I will be paid for this training whenever it happens.

At the moment I am subbing, or trying to, for two full days a week plus mornings five days every two weeks (every other week I go to two places on Friday so I can’t sub that day).  I am signed up in three districts this year but so far have only worked in two.  What?  Yes I did say two before, but then the third sent me a welcome note without my having signed up again so I stuck with it.  Since they were the source of some of my jobs so far, it looks like I made the right choice there.  I have subbed for one (half) day of middle school so far- the rest have been in elementary schools.  I actually took a bilingual first grade job- something I try to avoid during the main part of the year.  I also just took a job for a kindergarten morning Monday at the very school I went to for K through most of 2.  Oddly enough, while I can remember the names of all my other elementary teachers, I can’t for this school.  I wonder if I will be in the same classroom I was in for my own kindergarten?  I wonder if I will even recognize anything at the school.  I am pretty sure I took no assignments there last year.

Let’s see what I can say about the jobs I’ve taken so far.  The first-grade bilingual class was a little rough as the plans the teacher left were not very detailed, often requiring me or one of the assistants who were in and out of the room throughout the day to find the required materials.  The kids were also not very good listeners, but whether that was because of limited English skills or other reasons I couldn’t say.  Another couple of days I was in a position where there were no plans.  These were for special-ed teachers who didn’t even have set schedules yet being the beginning of the year so I ended up helping out in different classrooms throughout the day.  I wouldn’t be the least bit surprised if I found out that they came in the next day and said, “I had a sub?”  I don’t think I was expected…  The junior high job was a teacher who had both 7th and 8th grade classes, and all I did was supervise as they used computers to work on projects.  I was worried when not just my classes, but others as well used the laptops throughout the morning with little time to charge them, but according to one teacher the batteries actually hold out for some six hours or so, something I have never heard of in laptops.  My own computer lasts for three or less, but with with its specs I am not surprised.

So why have I not been keeping up on my friend’s blogs even if I couldn’t be bothered to update my own?  I don’t know.  If you want refrain from posting commenting in return I will understand.




Don’t you just love English?

Ok, I was scanning the news this evening and ran across this headline (on CNN if you must know) “Britney Reveals Hot New Body”. Now my first thoughts were “Who Cares?” Then I thought did she steal it? Then can I get a new body too, my knees aren’t what they used to be. And again with that thought, How did they attach it and why not a new brain? All that from one little headline.

Now over the years, I’ve noticed many headlines that can be read in more than one way. Most of this is due to the fact that headlines are rarely punctuated. Good punctuation can define what the sentence means, bad punctuation can give another meaning entirely. Words with multiple meanings can be used to misinterpret the meaning too.

This tendency in headlines has even given the late night talk show hosts something to ‘talk’ about. And they just keep showing up in the papers, and now on line. You would think that avoiding this would be taught in Journalism schools. Or not, maybe it sells more papers. So news day, add a heading that people will take different than intended, It should sell more papers…

I guess it wouldn’t be fair to just leave you with one headline would it?

So for your pleasure

The Funny Pages

Witty Quotes

And finally

Headline Humor

Enjoy…